Jail for collecting water in the USA?

[RurikGreenwulf]

This news are being passed around latin sites (badly translated of course hehe)
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/oreg...r-his-property

as yet another proof of the evil MEGA-Corp Run United states and their evil water laws
and how something something Monsanto, something something IMPERIALISM

Anyone else heard of this? is that page a reliable source of info?

[Grey_Southpaw]

Well, water rights are a very serious thing anywhere. If his ponds were affecting the water table (and from what I read on the permaculture forum, it definitely can) I'm supportive of something being done about it (though jail seems a bit extreme).

So, I may actually agree with big brother on this one

Sent from my LG-L38C using Bullshido - No BS MMA mobile app

[Permalost]

Large corporations have:
1: pumped water tables dry so they could sell it at greatly increased rates as bottled water, then left the land and locals high and dry

2: convinced 3rd world residents and governments that they could provide better, cheaper public services like water to the people, took over the previously publicly funded resources, and sold the product at higher prices while the quality stayed the same.

If corporations are accountable like people (and let's say they are for the sake of argument), laws like the one restricting this guy might not be desirable at all for the corps, since they say water is public property and can't be harvested by individuals or private entities without the proper paperwork. Although I do understand the concerns that a guy on his own property can't provide for his own independence by collecting something that falls from the sky independent of human interaction. Plus the unsavory connections between wealthy corporations and government public policy could sway these laws to favor corporations over private citizens.

[Bneterasedmynam]

Maybe someone can elaborate on this one because I don't understand how using dams on a river constitutes "rain water".

[Fuzzy]

Yeah, from reading the article it looks like this dude is claiming that they're charging him for collecting rainwater and snow runoff, but the state is saying he's been damming up streams and diverting watercourses.

[tgace]

Yeah, from reading the article it looks like this dude is claiming that they're charging him for collecting rainwater and snow runoff, but the state is saying he's been damming up streams and diverting watercourses.

Thats what I heard as well....

http://now.msn.com/oregon-man-jailed...ting-rainwater

[BKR]

This news are being passed around latin sites (badly translated of course hehe)
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/oreg...r-his-property

as yet another proof of the evil MEGA-Corp Run United states and their evil water laws
and how something something Monsanto, something something IMPERIALISM

Anyone else heard of this? is that page a reliable source of info?

Evil corporate America doesn't appear to have anything to do with the case. It's evil city of Medford, Oregon.

It's a water rights dispute, which are pretty common in the western US. Google Snake River Water Ajudication and feast your eyes on that one...

Ben

[Mr. Machette]

This guy lives near me, it's a pretty well known beef localy.

Here's how it breaks down.

He's not "diverting" anything. They're just prosecuting him under that law because the local courts are corrupt enough to somehow let the DA jump through that tiny warped hoop. They are trying to argue that the rainwater is not making it into the river. AFA the water table? This is NW Oregon. The "water table" is an inch above the ground most of the year. That's just bull@#$%.

What he has are three man made ponds on his own property which he stocks with fish and uses as resevoirs to water his property and fight local wild fires. He's notably allowed local fire departmens to dip into his "stash" as it were in the past. The ponds themselves are fed by rainwater. The "dams" are to control drainage into the river.

The beef is something unrelated bewteen him and the city. They're just pushing the water thing because it's all they have on him. Medford aparentlky argues that anything which falls from the sky within their city belongs to the city. They've been going after him for years and all they've got is 1.5k and the priviledge of providing this guyt with room and board for a month.

Witness; Kleptocracy in action.

[It is Fake]

This guy lives near me, it's a pretty well known beef localy.

Here's how it breaks down.

He's not "diverting" anything. They're just prosecuting him under that law because the local courts are corrupt enough to somehow let the DA jump through that tiny warped hoop. They are trying to argue that the rainwater is not making it into the river. AFA the water table? This is NW Oregon. The "water table" is an inch above the ground most of the year. That's just bull@#$%.

What he has are three man made ponds on his own property which he stocks with fish and uses as resevoirs to water his property and fight local wild fires. He's notably allowed local fire departmens to dip into his "stash" as it were in the past. The ponds themselves are fed by rainwater. The "dams" are to control drainage into the river.

The beef is something unrelated bewteen him and the city. They're just pushing the water thing because it's all they have on him. Medford aparentlky argues that anything which falls from the sky within their city belongs to the city. They've been going after him for years and all they've got is 1.5k and the priviledge of providing this guyt with room and board for a month.

Witness; Kleptocracy in action.

There you go, it has ZERO to do with Corporations or the feds (Imperialism) lol. You can find stupid disputes like this all over America. Rurik wants to come to America so bad it is palpable.

[BKR]

This guy lives near me, it's a pretty well known beef localy.

Here's how it breaks down.

He's not "diverting" anything. They're just prosecuting him under that law because the local courts are corrupt enough to somehow let the DA jump through that tiny warped hoop. They are trying to argue that the rainwater is not making it into the river. AFA the water table? This is NW Oregon. The "water table" is an inch above the ground most of the year. That's just bull@#$%.

What he has are three man made ponds on his own property which he stocks with fish and uses as resevoirs to water his property and fight local wild fires. He's notably allowed local fire departmens to dip into his "stash" as it were in the past. The ponds themselves are fed by rainwater. The "dams" are to control drainage into the river.

The beef is something unrelated bewteen him and the city. They're just pushing the water thing because it's all they have on him. Medford aparentlky argues that anything which falls from the sky within their city belongs to the city. They've been going after him for years and all they've got is 1.5k and the priviledge of providing this guyt with room and board for a month.

Witness; Kleptocracy in action.

Sounds like he needs a better lawyer. Is he damming streams that run year round? Or even intermittently ? Sound like no to me... it should be interesting case if he pursues it.

[tgace]

It sounds like he's damming run-off to fill his reservoirs.....

[Mr. Machette]

Sounds like he needs a better lawyer. Is he damming streams that run year round? Or even intermittently ? Sound like no to me... it should be interesting case if he pursues it.

It sounds like he's damming run-off to fill his reservoirs.....

Not really.

He has "pits" on his property. The rainwater falls into the pits where it stays until he chosses to drain them by opening the dams. The dams basically work as a control against flooding. They do not divert anything from the river. To the contrary, they allow water to flow into the river that would otherwise stay on his property.

These little deatails are the reason it's taken about ten years or so for the local Gov. to back him into a 1.5k corner. They've probably spent far more than that trying to mess with the guy for the last decade.

[Permalost]

The dams basically work as a control against flooding. They do not divert anything from the river. To the contrary, they allow water to flow into the river that would otherwise stay on his property.

Conversely, the pits collect water that would otherwise flow into the river. I think that's the other side's point.

[Mr. Machette]

Conversely, the pits collect water that would otherwise flow into the river. I think that's the other side's point.

This isn't dry-azz Sand Diego up here. Nine months out of the year your footprint goes below the water table. Dig a post hole and you'll have a "man made pond". Anything below ground level is basically "in the water table.

The idea that holes on his property are damaging to the river is laughable at best. Not to mention, the water does eventually flow into the river and does leech into the ground.

The city's case is total bull$%#@ and that's why the best they can get after all this time is a token fine and providing this guy with three hots and a cot for 30 days. I know a guy who did three times that stint for running out of the Plaid Pantry with a bottle of Ripple in his pants. What I'm saying is his "heinous crime" falls somewhere short of shoplifting. It's a bad joke, man.

[tgace]

Hmmm...can a homeowner build a "pond" if he want's too or does he have to get a permit?